Sandhills_Sentinel

With the holidays now less than six months away, Christmas for Moore, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving families and individuals in need of assistance at Christmas time, is readying for the upcoming season of giving.

The appreciation of recipients from 2017 inspire the Christmas for Moore board of directors to work even harder to recruit sponsors for the 2018 families preparing to register.

Rhonda, a single mother raising 11 children and two grandchildren in Southern Pines, was one of the 2017 program recipients.

“This program means a lot,” said Rhonda. “I had told my children that we would not celebrate, that we would just have dinner and be together, but because of Christmas for Moore, my kids and I had a Christmas. The kids got new clothes and toys, and I got a new beautiful Bible that I love, two boxes of food and household items. It’s a big help and a blessing. God is good.”

Angie, another program recipient in Southern Pines, was grateful that the program helped her as an individual.

“This program is the best,” said Angie. “Our sponsor helped us so much. There’s so much glory to God because my 4-year-old godson came to live with us, and our sponsor helped provide for him too. It’s so hard out here, but our sponsor did everything to make our Christmas special when we needed the help.”

Many residents of Moore County are struggling to provide the basic needs for their families.

“It is hard for these families to consider providing the joy of giving during the Christmas season without help from their community,” said Eleanora Voelkel, chair of the group’s board of directors. “The Christmas for Moore sponsors and donors are like the angels depicted in our new logo, offering their gifts out of the love of our Lord to these families who need support. This is the mission of the program.”

With the generosity of the community acting as sponsors and donors to the program, Christmas for Moore is able match up families with sponsors who provide not only the much-needed clothing, food, toys and household items but also the love and spirit of the season to those whom register. 

Families can register to be part of the 2018 Christmas for Moore program at one of these four locations: 

~ Tuesday, Sept. 4 from 4-7 p.m. at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, located at 1517 Luther Way, Southern Pines.
~ Thursday, Sept. 6 from 4-7 p.m. at West End Presbyterian Church, located at 275 Knox Lane, West End.
~ Saturday, Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Moore County Agricultural Center, located at 707 Pinehurst Avenue, Carthage.
~Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills, located at 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines.

To register for Christmas for Moore, registrants must:

~ be a Moore County resident;
~ provide identification for every individual in the home (photo identification for all adults and other identification for children that may include a driver’s license, Medicaid card, Faith in Action ID, N.C. identification card, etc.);
~ register each individual in the home at one of the listed meeting times above to be eligible (if unable to register in person, a relative or agent can complete the registration if he or she brings all of the required documentation listed above and knows each individual’s needs and clothing sizes.);
~ only register at one location as registering at multiple sites can result in disqualification of the entire family; 
~ understand there are no guarantees that every family will be sponsored, because it is totally dependent on the number of sponsors available; and 
~ understand that once a family has applied to be a recipient family, this information will be shared with groups who have indicated a desire for sponsoring families for Christmas. Families who are sponsored will be contacted by Nov. 15 by their designated sponsor.

Christmas for Moore has expanded its reach every year. Rising registration numbers and needs increased by nearly 30 percent last year.

“Nearly 450 families were registered in 2017, and Christmas for Moore matched each family with a sponsor,” Voelkel said. “So we pray that area churches, social groups, civic organizations, businesses and individuals will come forward to act as sponsors and donors to share our blessings with others in our community.”

The Christmas for Moore board looks forward to the community joining in to reach out with love and support during this season of giving.

For more information on becoming a Christmas for Moore sponsor, call 910-947-4438 or email [email protected]. To assist with a donation, checks may be mailed to Christmas for Moore, P.O. Box 3962, Pinehurst, N.C., 28374. All donations are tax-deductible.

Feature photo courtesy of Christmas for Moore: Dana FierroSherri MangumEleanora VoelkelTina Patterelli Arno andBarbara Dice at Penick Village.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email